Jamie Long

What attracted you to studying Journalism at Kent?  

I lived in Kent before I started here at the University and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to travel further or keep closer to home. I visited two other universities and, to be honest, I wasn’t blown away – some of the lecturers seemed uninterested and it felt like there was little support. I decided to go along to an open day at the University of Kent, and then I felt much more positive about my next steps. 

The Journalism lecturers all have extensive experience in the field and seemed genuinely interested in what I was looking to achieve. They also pointed out that they ensure students complete the NCTJ Diploma, alongside their degree. (This is super important if you want to be a journalist, teaching you skills such as shorthand and media law – news editors will be unlikely to employ you without it!) The NCTJ Diploma wasn’t taught at the other universities I visited, so I knew that the Centre for Journalism was serious about training students up to a high standard.

The University also has part ownership of KMTV, which is a television station broadcasting to thousands across Kent. You can watch it online, on Freeview and on Virgin, and students get the chance to work as interns at the station. This attracted me even more to studying at Kent, because I knew that there was the opportunity to work within a professional news group, on programmes ranging from news to sport and business to features.

What are you most enjoying about your course?

The regular newsdays! These are full days dedicated to producing quality journalism. For example, we might be working all day to produce a newspaper, radio programme or hour-long television programme.

This really gears you up for a career in journalism. You work together, as a class, throughout the day to produce a high-quality end product. You go out and interview real people and talk to them about real stories (just as you would in the real world!).

There is something very rewarding about working on your own stories and publishing them at the end of the day. It’s also great to work together with your classmates to share and build important skills for the future. Sure, at the end of the day you might a little drained, but the sense of accomplishment far outweighs this!

How well do you think your course is preparing you for a career in journalism?

As well as the newsdays, which I’ve mentioned, I secured an internship at KMTV during my second year. This has been an incredible experience, which I have continued into my third year. The University and the KM Media Group run the station together, and the internship enables you to work in a professional newsroom among experienced journalists.

At the beginning of the internship, I had to learn the basics – but they teach you everything. You can work behind the scenes researching for stories, managing guests, working in the studio by operating the cameras, or working in the gallery during live broadcasts. Further into the internship you’re trusted to appear on TV live in front of the county. You could be talking about some of Kent’s biggest stories or what’s trending on social media, if that’s more your thing

I’ve also had the opportunity to create full story packages. I’ve researched, scripted, recorded and edited them myself before they have been broadcast to the county. I’ve worked on stories ranging from the closure of Debenhams stores to one about Santa driving a bus – every day is different.

One of the highlights of the internship was the election night in December 2019. I was sent to one of the counts, and broadcast live overnight. It was an amazing opportunity to stand in front of a camera, on such an important night for the nation, and let people know what was going on. I’ll admit, my first live link from the election was terrifying. I knew thousands would be sitting at home watching, but it was brilliant.

What do you think of the facilities for your course? 

They are fantastic. The Centre for Journalism has its own purpose-built television studio and two radio studios. These are free for you to use whenever you need. There are also Apple Macs for each student, complete with all of the editing software you could ever need. You’re also able to take out the Centre’s kit – from full video camera kits to audio recorders and 360?cameras. There’s everything you could ever need for your studies, for the newsdays and for any extra work you want to undertake to boost your portfolio.

How would you describe your lecturers? What do you think about the level of support you receive?

The lecturers at the Centre are great. Every single member of the team genuinely cares about your education and wants you to succeed. Lecturers have an open-door policy, meaning that you can walk into their office at any time and have a chat. They’re always there, five days a week, to offer support and feedback.  They treat students as colleagues, which is important too, and, because the Centre is quite small, everybody knows everybody – which can only be a good thing.

Do you live at Medway? What are the best things about the area?

I live at home and commute to the campus by car. There are good road, rail and bus links too. If you want to take part in any activities at the Canterbury campus, you can get the shuttle bus – this is free to use and leaves regularly from early until late.

Medway is a great place not only to study, but to also live. Just a five-minute walk away from the campus is the Dockside outlet centre with a range of shops, plenty of restaurants and cafés, and an Odeon cinema too. You’re not far away from Chatham, Rochester and Gillingham high streets. If you’re into history, Medway is also home to the Royal Engineers Museum and Chatham Historic Dockyard – both well worth checking out!

What career path do you hope to follow when you leave?  

I hope to get into broadcast journalism, whether that be in radio or television. My course has geared me up perfectly for life as a journalist. It’s important to know that this often isn’t a 9 to 5 job, but the course has prepared me for that. I’ve learnt all of the necessary skills and have also made lots of contacts, which is equally important.

I’ve had the opportunity to secure freelance work at various local and national newsrooms. The experience I’ve gained at KMTV has also geared me up for a professional newsroom – whether this be joining the team there full-time, or moving on to another company in the future.

I hope to be heard on your radio or seen on your TV one day soon – who knows what might happen? And if I am, it’ll be because of the skills, contacts and experience I’ve gained at the University of Kent.

Any advice for somebody thinking of coming to Kent? 

I’d say remember you can apply to Kent even if you live locally. Travelling halfway across the country to study might seem appealing but if you’ve got everything you need on your doorstep, don’t waste money by travelling many miles away. I’m glad I stayed in the area, especially as I’ve opened up job opportunities in London during my time studying.